The Official Website of the Office of His Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani

1Question: When does a boy become adult? In other words, when is he supposed to begin carrying out religious acts as obligatory duties?

Answer: Puberty in males could be confirmed if one of three signs was present.
1. First: Completion of fifteen lunar calendar years of age (equal to 14 years and seven months and fifteen days of the solar calendar).
2. Second: Ejaculation through sexual intercourse, or seminal discharge while awake or asleep.
3.Third: The presence of pubic hair, of the rough type, similar to head hair.
4. Fourth: The presence of hair on the face and above the lips.

2Question: When is a girl considered adult from the viewpoint of Sharia?

Answer: She is considered adult at the completion of nine lunar years (equal to eight years and eight months and twenty days of the solar calendar).